Improvement in the machine for weighing heavy bodies



E. & T. FAIRBANKS- Weighing Heavy Bodies.

Patented Feb. 10, 1837.

I fiznemmem film 9% (M N, PETERS. murllthugrzphlr. Wflhinglon D. C.

2 Sheets-*Sheet i.

2 SheetsSheet 2. E. & T. FAIRBANKS.

Weighing Heavy Bodies.

' N0. 122. Patented Feb. 10, 1837 W um JM mm. i w/ m W.

UNITED Sra'rns Parnrrr Gret a.

ERASTUS FAIRBANKS AND TlIADDEUS FAIRBANKS, GF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT.

lP/IPROVEMENT lll THE MACHINE FOR WEIGHING HEAVY BODlES For which Letters Patent were granted, dated February 21, 1832. and subsequently canceled on account of a defective specification, and new Letters Patent granted, dated March 6, 1834, which new Letters Patent are hereby canceled on account of a defective specification.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1222, dated February 1f 1837.

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERASTUS Fsrnnxsxs and Tnannnus FAIRBANKS, of St. Johnsbury, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have made certain improvements in the machine for weighing heavy bodies in addition to those formerly made by us, and for which we obtained Letters Patent bearing date the 13th day of June, 1831; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of our said improve nent, reference being had to the drawings which accompany this specification, and make part of the same; and we do further declare that in these drawings and this description we have represented and described many parts which are common to other machines for the same purpose, and are found in that patented by us as aforesaid, which we have done for the purpose of more clearly explaining those parts which we believe to be new and of our own invention, and which are distinctly set forth in the claim hereunto appended.

Figure 1 represents a plan of the machine, the arrangement of the levers and their up pendages being hid by the platform. Fig. 2 represents those parts which are exposed to view by removing the platform.

A A A A is the exterior frame, made of tiniher or other suitable material; B B, two sills or timbers extending lengthwise of the frame, and which sustain it and the otherparts of the apparatus.

(3 G are two pieces of wood orof metal, which are denominated rockers, and which have the levers D D firmly attached and rest upon four knifeedge fulcra or hinges.

E E, Fig. 3, are standards which form the lower part of these fulera or hinges, and are supported by the bed-sills B B. One of these standards is drawn to a larger scale in the detached representation, the top being indented for the purpose of receiving one of the knifecdges of the fulcra or hinges. In fixing these standards to the sills they are not firmly attached, but are allowed to have a vibratory motion upon their feet or base lengthwise of edge adapting itself perfectly without cramping or binding.

F F are the hinges or those parts of the fulcra which are firmly attached to the rockers G 0, one of which is also seen in thedetached drawings, with one of its knife-edges resting upon the standard E. Upon the upper side of each of these hinges is formed its other knifeedge, upon which the platform rests, which is received by the pieces of steel, cast-iron, or other metal placed for that purpose on the un der side of the timbers of the platform, as shown at H H, Fig. 4. The hinges or fulcra made in the way described. are designed to be used in pairs, as seen in Fig. 2, the knife-edges all ranging on parallel lines.

The middle fulcrum, K, is formed by the pieces shown in the detached drawings, a and 1), resting in the ringer quadrangle K. The piece a is bolted to the upper side of the longer lever, D, having a knife edge suspension formed at the projecting end, on which hangs the ring or quadrangle K. The piece I) is bolted to the under side of the shorter lever, its projecting knife-edge resting in the lower cavity of the ring or quadrangle K, thus connecting the two levers at a point equidistant from their axes by means of a pendulous ring hanging upon knife'edges. In the side ele- 1 vation, Fig. 3, the ring or quadrangle K is The longer lever, D, is lengthened out so as to extend under the. edge of one side of the frame, where it is connected with the balance or steelyard.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine. The lever D is here seen extended to the rod L, the lower end of which, in the form of a hook, passes under a knife'edge at the end of this lever. The fixture on the end of the lever of which the knifeedge forms a part is seen in the detached drawing, at m. It is fastened on the under side of the lever by the screw and nut 02, admitting, as will be seen by inspection, of its being adjusted to its place with.

the machine, which motionhdmits'ofthe lrnife-l-wgreal precision.

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the r ends adapted to into staples aiiixed for that purpose on the under side of the plat form, still allowing it to descend the sli ht distance required in weighing, while they efi cctnally prevent its striking or rubbing against the frame The usual modes of placing these rods, chains, or links are shown in the drawings, and are marked (2 d cl it,

Any steelyard or common balance may be connected to the lever B by means of a rod, L. M represents the rod and a steelyard or balance with weights suspended thereto by th rod N, and also having a movable poise which, although appended to the drawings, do not in any way appcrtain to the improvements intended to be now patented, and need not be here described.

vihen we make the weighing-machine for the use of warehouses, stores, 85c, for the purpose of general weighing we sometimes modify the form of the apparatus and the direction of the levers in such a way as to render it in some respects more convenient than the one just described, The accompanying drawing No. 2 will serve to exemplify this kind of modification.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine with the platform in its place; Fig. 2, view of the under side of the platform; 3, a plan of the machine where the platform is removed; Fig. at, a lateral view, certain parts being re moved to exhibit the general arrangement, with a section of the platform in its place. Fig. 5 shows a section of the box and the frame which surrounds it to receive time platform; Fig. 6, the knife-edge suspension at the junction of the lovers; Fig. 7, the hinge which is bolted onto the rocker, and which is suspenced from the frame which surrounds the platform by a knife-edge suspension instead of resting upon a standard, as in the former arrangement.

In each of the figures the same letters are employed to designate similar parts,

A A are the rockers, upon one of which is fixed the short lever B B, and upon the other the longer lcvezgi] Upon the rockers A A are bolted, near their ends, the hinges D l), having upon. them knife-edges B, 7, for the bearings l I of the platform to rest on. he

junction of the two levers JJ is shown at Fig. 6, one piece, K, with its knife-edge, being attached to the shorter and another, L, with its knife-edge to the longenlevcrs, and a circle or ring, M, being substituted for the quadrangle or ring K in the first modification. This method of connecting the lovers by means of k nife-edge bearings resting in pendulous hooks or circles admits of a free motion correspond ing with that or" the hinges or fulcra.

N l? are the heads of the bolts and loops which form a part of the knife-edge suspension of the hinges or fulcra. The rod leading from the longer lever,c c, to the balance has its suspension formed in the manner essentially the same with that before described From the foregoing description it will be seen that in the diiierent modifications the several bearings upon which the machine moves are all knife-edges placed on parallel lines and resting uponpendulous or vibra tory supports in such a manner as entirely to avoid all friction and all resistance by opposing tendencies.

It is obvious that machines constructed upon this principle may be variously 1nodiied-as. for instance, if the lovers be constructed of iron the knife-edges may be iornied upon them or the hinges or i'ulcra, or center connection may be formed by inserting pivots with knifeedgcs hanging in single loops, while a brace or bar extending across and forn'iing a triangular lever may answer the purpose of the pieces denominated rockers.

What we claim as our invention and as an improvement upon the machine formerly patcnted by us, is

The variation in the manner of arranging the lovers, as described in Figs. 3 and at, drawing 2, the arrangement being that of having the longer lever (with its rocker) triangular, extending through the center of the machine, and the shorter lever, while it forms but one power, is constructed with two arms so fitted as to be suspended to the longer lever at a point equidistant from the axis of each, thus preserving the simple combination of two levers, as claimed in our former patent.

ERASTUS FAIRBANKS. THADDEUS FAIRBANKS.

Vitnesscs:

Lu'rnnn Juwn'rrr, ii'nmn Knarr.

mode of formingthe knife-edge bearings at the 

